Robin Shou
Robin Shou (full name Robin Shou Wan Por, born July 17, 1960 in Hong Kong), is a Chinese actor working in the American movie industry. Usually appearing in martial arts films, he is best known for his portrayal of Liu Kang in the movie Mortal Kombat. He plays 14K in Death Race Biography Early life Robin Shou was the fourth son of a Shanghai tailor and a homemaker. His family moved to the United States in 1971. Shou did not start attending martial arts classes until he was 19. He studied Kenpo (Karate) while attending California State University, Los Angeles. He later decided to learn Wu Shu, and went to China for a year to study it. Shou returned to California State University, Los Angeles and obtained his B.S. in civil engineering. He spent a year and a half in this field and he was convinced he needed a different career. He soon took off to Hong Kong, planning to vacation and think. Soon after his arrival, however, he was offered a chance to appear in a movie as a stuntman. He was offered job after job, and for his first two years in Hong Kong, he played big parts in action films. When Shou is not making films he takes ceramic classes, paints, welds and does woodworking. He likes to do anything that involves working with his hands. Film career Shou's first real dramatic role was in Forbidden Nights in 1990, where he played opposite Melissa Gilbert. Though only a TV film, this was his first American debut. However, Shou went back to Hong Kong and continued making movies there. By this time, he was more choosy about the roles he would play. He wanted other roles besides that of a bodyguard or a stuntman. He began turning down roles and after nine years he was bored and ready to quit acting. In 1994, Shou returned to Los Angeles, California, to start an import/export business. Then he got the call from his agent, ranting about a "perfect role" for him in a movie called Mortal Kombat. Robin was uninterested, assuming he would be playing a villain who gets killed in the end. His agent begged him to audition, and he was cast as Liu Kang. Shou also appears in a minor role in another fighting video game adaptation, DOA: Dead or Alive, based on Tecmo's video game series of the same name, produced by Mortal Kombat director Paul W. S. Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt. His next role is Gen in 2009's Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, which is also based on a popular series of fighting video games, Street Fighter. Filmography As actor (selected) * Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009) * Death Race]] (2008) * DOA: Dead or Alive (2006) * 18 Fingers of Death! (2004) * Red Trousers - The Life of the Hong Kong Stuntmen (2003) * Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997) * Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) * Mortal Kombat (1995) * The Most Wanted (1994) * Black Cat 2 (1992) * Interpol Connection (1992) * Eastern Heroes (1991) * Forbidden Nights (1990) TV * Tiger Cage 2 (1990) * Death Cage (1989) * City War (1988) As director * Red Trousers - The Life of the Hong Kong Stuntmen (2003) External links *Official Robin Shou Homepage *Phoenix's Robin Shou Homepage *Robin Shou Forum *IMDb Robin Shou Category:Death Race Film cast